HB 238 changes the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act by removing language that could be used to deny families housing. The “number of person under 18 years of age in the household” is listed under reasonable grounds for rejecting sublease to a tenant. This is inconsistent with the listing of familial status as a protected class under federal fair housing law and could lead landlords to deny housing to families under those grounds.

“HB 238 brings Alaska’s Landlord Tenant Act in line with the Federal Fair Housing Act,” Millett said. “Not only will this proposed bill ensure that Alaska continues to receive federal housing program funding which averages to about $6 million a year, but it also ensures that landlords treat potential tenants fairly no matter what their family situation is.”